Strange clunk while turning to the left???

[Rufus]

I have a 92 Ranger 2 WD with stock everything with mud tires all around (got a good deal) and now I have noticed that I have a strange clunk coming from the front end and the tire noise changes while I am making a turn to the left. I get the same sort of noise when I hit a bump on that side too. Right turns are fine. I jacked up the drivers side and checked the tie rods and ball joints and they seem tight. Now there is a support that bolts around the ball joints and goes back toward the drivers seat area and I took a hammer and tapped the end that goes into the terminating "buldge". When I was watching the rubber boot I noticed that it would move around in the hole. Almost as though the hole might be too big???? Anyway does this seem right to you guys and am I overlooking something else?

 

[mrcarcrazy]

are you referring to the radius rod(arm)?
see this pic http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/winter2007/chico4554/chico5.jpg

If that's the spot. those bushings wear out and need to be replaced. if you have the know how and proper tools its a 30 min/side job. if you've never done it it'll take a few hrs.

 

[Rufus]

Yep thats what I was talking about. It took me a lot longer than I would have thought. Dumb me, I just didn't want to unbolt the two halves that tie both together....would have been much quicker. I changed out the axel bushings too since I was already that far into it. Had quite a time trying to get that axel bushing to go in straight using a ball joint press. I finally gave up and took to small pieces of flat stock of suitable size and drilled a clearance hole for the axel bolt. I stuck the bolt through the first plate, through the bushing, through the axel, next plate and then the nut and tighten. I am all done but still get a strange noise when I go over a large bump. Any ideas??

 

[mrcarcrazy]

elaborate on "strange noise"......


did you wait to tighten bushings up with weight on suspension? sometimes not doing this can cause some issues...

get the spring in the same orientation as before? noises often appear when this isn't done.


tighten the large nut under the spring seat? (the one you loosen to allow the radius arm to rotate so you can R&R the bushing.) many a strange things happen when you don't do that.

 

[Rufus]

Well the noise sounds almost like a tree limb smacking somewhere under the forward part of the truck or something is really loose. I did not do anything to the spring. I cut the rivits and unbolted the halves and slid the bracket off the radius arm. All my bolts are tight and it sounds just like it did before I changed the axel and radius arm bushing. I guess I will try loosening the raduis arm bushing and tighten it back up with the truck on the ground. Thanks.

 

[mrcarcrazy]

Wow, you took the rivets out of the bracket? that's one way of changing the bushing that I have never done. interesting approach. should have been the "quick way" I suppose. not sure.

not too sure without laying hands on the truck where the sound is coming from.

 

[Rufus]

That's the way to go!!! I just ground off the rivets and took the four bolts that hold both brakets together. I wrestled around trying to use a come along to pull the whole axel out of the hole but I was afraid I would pull the truck off the jackstand. I finally gave up and took this approach and I would have to say that it would have taken two hours or so this way. Just replaced the rivets with grade 8 bolts to finish off the job. Oh, I used an air hammer to drive out the rivits but other than that, no suprises.

 

[mrcarcrazy]

I've done at least 40 sets of Rad. rod bushings...maybe more...always dropped springs, etc I had it down to about 30 mins per side.

your way is interesting though...

 

[96Greenster]

Yep, I have that same clunk but mine is left and right. Im pretty sure that is the Radius Control Arm Bushings. They look pretty messed up and worn out.